I did not know that these shows where shown out in the UK as well. I also find them distressing at times, but some nights I'll watch for a bit.
Sadly abuse happens all the time out here (and I suppose there as well). Once case in particular really upset me and caused me to jump into action. I found out about it from a friend who suppots a shelter in Arlington Heights Illinis, called the Buddy Foundation. They had received a call for help on a kitten who was mutilated by come :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored:. The kitten was taken in right away and had to undergo emergancy surgery. What was so distrubing was some :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: received pleasure from cutting off a 7 or 8 week old kittens tail and rear legs!
Here is part of the story...
A 7-week-old female black kitten found in Des Plaines was discovered in to have its back legs and tail cut off.
When a call came in to the Buddy Foundation hotline in mid-May about an abandoned kitten crying underneath a porch, volunteers came out to rescue the animal but did not immediately find the rest of the litter.
They rushed the kitten to Arlington Heights Animal Hospital, where Dr. Anita Kuhnle found her covered in abscesses and immediately started her on antibiotics to clear up the infections.
"She definitely had been mutilated," Kuhnle says.
Kuhnle says that while she cannot rule out foul play, she thinks it is more likely that the kitten got caught in a lawnmower. She thinks the mother's nest was in high grass and the person never even saw her litter.
After an overnight stay, Arlington Animal Hospital officials referred the kitten to the Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, where Dr. Claude Gendreau treated the kitten for trauma and will attempt to seal up its wounds next week in surgery.
He declined to comment whether he felt the injuries were a malicious act or as a result of an accident.
Kuhnle said the injury had been a clean cut and that the kitten's limbs had not been shredded as they might if another animal had done the mutilating. She added that seeing a double amputee kitten like this one, missing both back legs, was a first for her, and consequently she could not predict its future.
"The good thing is that very soon, she won't remember ever being any different," Kuhnle said. "But, ultimately it will depend on her ability to maneuver, and get in and out of the litter pan."
Currently, the kitten remains in the care of its foster family who has nicknamed the animal, "Teddi," since she reminds them of a teddy bear.
(http://www.pet-abuse.com/media/case_pics/thumbs/case5238_1122949663_1.gif)(http://www.pet-abuse.com/media/case_pics/thumbs/case5238_1122949685_1.gif)
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Teddi did not deserve this and sadly the person who DID deserve it to them was never identified or caught. :(
I donated a couple thousand dollars to his surgery fund right away and managed to raise about a thousand more on my website to help Teddi.
After a year of surgeries Teddi was physocally healed.
(http://www.coolcybercats.com/images/messageBoard/teddi14.jpg)
(http://www.coolcybercats.com/images/messageBoard/teddi12.jpg)
(http://www.coolcybercats.com/images/messageBoard/TeddiandCarol.jpg)
(http://www.coolcybercats.com/images/messageBoard/teddi11.jpg)
He has managed to find a loving home and actually get around fairly well I hear.
So thought this was a horribly sad case, people came to his rescue and he is happy and loving now.
Right after I found a national database of animal abuse here as well. I go there a lot to notify them of the things I find and to see what ishappen near me that warrants attention. The site is http://www.pet-abuse.com (http://www.pet-abuse.com). I donated to them many times and agreed to point a domain I have to them. I wanted to start a database site like that one before I found them. So you can also get there by going to http://www.petkillers.com (http://www.petkillers.com) And here is the good news, the site tracks abuse cases in the USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Spain! But it takes the help of people like you to keep the info up to date and accurate. So if you have a minute, check out the site and join it. Go to the Animal Abuse Database (link on upper right on main page) and look up the UK info and help them track and notify others of abuse. I know it is disturbing and hard and many of use want to avoid seeing this stuff, but really, the only way to put an end to it is by knowing what is happening, informing others and helping to educate people. So please do not turn a blind eye to helping stop abuse.